“FRIENDS FIRST” Campaign
for Batteau House- 2016-2017

We are working on making sure our Batteau History/Museum can be shared with the public. Over the years members have been collecting archives, artifacts and memorabilia of canal and river heritage and building navigable reproductions, therefore in order to share them with the public we need your help in making our New Batteau House/Museum something for all to enjoy!

By building our 2017 Fundraising Campaign we will be able to complete items on our “Need to Due List”. Here are just a few:

• Much needed repairs on the Batteau Museum
• Building a Boat Barn to house boats and other large artifacts that are right now being stored at private properties
• Signage for front of Museum

Our Goal is $10,000 by July 1, 2017!

Dr. Bill Trout has stated that for every $1,000 Donation he will match the amount.

You can donate to the Home Fund via the donate now button below:

Payments are processed through PayPal and you can use your PayPal account OR enter your credit/debit card info. Various types of cards are accepted.

You can also make your donation by check payable to: Virginia Canals & Navigations Society.

VC&NS mailing address:

Note: If you wish your gift to only be used towards the Home Fund, then write “Home Fund” on the for line of the check, otherwise the funds go into the non restricted funds and can be applied towards any VCNS need.

You can a visit the Batteau Museum in person (Please call Bill Trout in advance to arrange a time/date to make sure he is home. Phone Number 252-301-1747), or email Bill, see map to the Batteau House below:

Your generosity and belief in our mission makes our
work possible, and we are deeply grateful for your
partnership.

For Tax Purposes, a donation receipt will be sent to you. The Virginia Canals & Navigations Society is a 501(c)3 non profit organization.

The Virginia Canals & Navigations Society is proud to announce the publication of The Belle of Rose Isle, A model-maker’s case study of The Reverend Robert Rose’s Double Dug-Out Canoe. By Robert J. Faught, edited by W.E Trout, III, and W.H. Messerly, Jr.

This book explores the history of Robert Rose’s double dug-out canoe by the author’s models that he made to study the various theories about the size of the boats and how many hogsheads each might have carried etc. Many entries from Robert Rose’s diary are cited to help explore this important early history of navigation and trade on the James River before the invention of the Batteau.

On December, 3, 2016, Major Faust visited Batteau House, for the Christmas open house, and signed copies of this new book. A flyer is available for free download if you would like to help post this information. The VC&NS online store now lists this new publication. Retail is $20.00 plus tax if you are in VA, plus shipping. Members can receive their 20% discount (Be sure to obtain the discount code before you order).

On Saturday, November 12, 2016, a small band of canal enthusiasts armed with chain saws launched a post-dawn raid on the lock at Palmyra Mills, beside the Rivanna River. The goal was to catch up on tree removal and uncover partially buried portions of the lock. The VCNS has been doing cleanups at this lock for decades.

The lock at Palmyra Mills is the only intact structure in this area that boasts a mill ruins, dam ruins and covered bridge piers. The lock is by no means in perfect condition, but at 165 years old and only cared for by volunteers, it is in good condition. The continuing efforts of dedicated volunteers can help ensure it lasts for at least another 165 years.

The Great Bridge Battlefield & Waterways History Foundation held their 7th annual Waterways Heritage Festival on October 15th, 2016.

The festival is held at a park in Chesapeake, Virginia adjacent to where the Elizabeth River meets the Chesapeake and Albemarle Canal. It is free, includes boat rides through the Great Bridge Lock and has many vendors and attractions celebrating Chesapeake’s waterways and cultural heritage. The organizers feature the VC&NS prominently in their advertising for this event, and generously provide hotel lodging and food to the VC&NS volunteers. They very much appreciate having a batteau in attendance at the festival.

This event is well attended, and this year was no exception, in spite of the fact that it was held on a rain date due to over a foot of rain that fell on the original weekend during Hurricane Matthew. Many of the festival volunteers are first responders and Coast Guard members and actually spent the previous weekend rescuing people but still cheerfully participated in the festival! The VC&NS has been in attendance every year. Once again the batteau “Slate River” was a featured attraction. The VC&NS tent also showcased our newest publication, The Dismal Swamp Nobody Knows, and author Bill Trout and author/artist Bill Hoffman (“Sarge”). Mr. Hoffman was there to personally sign the copies that were sold, and the display featured a painting that was included in the book.

If you haven’t participated in this wonderful event, we look forward to seeing you there in October 2017!

VC&NS “Home Fund”

VC&NS - Upcoming Events

Join the VC&NS

Please see the VC&NS online store to choose your category of dues such as individual or couple, etc. This is a one time payment to be made through PayPal using either your PayPal account OR Credit Card. (Most cards accepted and are processed for the VC&NS through PayPal.)
For future dues payments you will receive annual notices from our Membership Director via the US Mail. (You still may pay via the website each time if you so choose, however this is not an automatic payment as has been done with the prior "subscribe now" PayPal Button Method). Thank you for being a member of the VC&NS.